A Complete Guide to What to Do In New York Over 4th of July Weekend


Every few years we get lucky and the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, giving us a nice, long four-day weekend. In an ideal world, we’d probably all get the hell out of town, maybe head to our summer houses in Fire Island, or spend a few days with friends at their place in the Berkshires where they decamped a few years ago. But it’s not an ideal world, is it? And so you’re stuck here, in the sweltering city with scorched sidewalks and air that always smells faintly of garbage and electrical fires. But don’t worry, because we’re all in this together. And even though you might not be heading out to Montauk, there’s no need to limit yourself to Brooklyn-based activities this weekend. Explore a little, and venture out of your borough-wide comfort zone by heading to a floating pool in the South Bronx or to one of the most beautiful, and least crowded beaches in New York, which just happens to be in Staten Island. Yes, Staten Island. And just think, if you actually do make it out to the red-headed stepchild of New York City boroughs, you’ll get to tell all your friends that you went somewhere really exotic for the holiday. Let them go to Martha’s Vineyard, you’ve got all of New York City to yourself.